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Summary

The site of a windmill, believed to originate in the reign of Elizabeth I. It was referred to as an "ancient" windmill in a deed of 1711. The mill burnt down in 1841 and was rebuilt in 1844. It was a smock type mill, with a brick ground floor and timber construction above. It was demolished in 1938 and the area is now built over.
Two Neolithic polished greenstone axes were found nearby at an unknown date. It was suggested that the mill was built on a long barrow but there is no evidence for this.

Full Description

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Record Cards, OS: TL 02 SE 16 (Unpublished document). SBD10879.

"Biscott Windmill" - Site of Elizabethan mill; Alleged site of Long Barrow; 2 greenstone axes. TL 0789 2310
[TL 0789 2310] Biscott Windmill (Corn) [TI] (OS 6" 1878-78).
Biscott Mill is said to have originated under a lease granted temp. Eliszabeth. It is mentioned in a deed of 1711 and mapped in 1765 and 1826. It was burnt down in 1841 and rebuilt in 1844. (Beds Hist Record Soc Pubs. Vol 14, 1931, p25)
Description and illustration [See AO/61/46/3] (Beds Hist Record Soc Survey of Ancient Buildings, Vol 1, 1931, p4)
Biscott Windmill is probably on the site of a long barrow. Two greenstone axes were found within a few yards of the mill. (Beds Arch Vol 1, no 1, 1955, p14) M.S.G. 2.6.61
Published site now built over; no supporting evidence encountered for barrow classification..10.11.75

<2> The Bedfordshire Archaeologist, Vol. 1, 1955-1956, p. 14 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10782.

Biscott Mill Long Barrow TL 079 231. Referred to by Austin but site uncertain, probably on site of Biscot windmill. 2 polished greenstone exes found within a few yards of the mill.

<3> Bedfordshire Archaeological Council, 1964, Bedfordshire Archaeological Journal, Volume II, Vol. 2, 1964, p. 25 (Article in serial). SBD14112.

Neolithic long barrow at Biscot Mill, Luton (ref (2); Arch J 116, 14, no 28). Greenstone axes are in Luton Museum.

<4> Bedfordshire Historical Record Society, Bedfordshire Historical Record Society, Vol. 14, 1931, pp. 25-26 (Serial). SBD10681.

Biscot Mill is said to have originated under a lease for a long term of years granted in the reign of Elizabeth. A deed dated Decmber 24th 1711 recites that an ancient windmill has stood on the site, and that the miller and his successors were to rebuild and keep it in repair for a period of 500 years. Mapped in 1765 (Jefferys) and 1826 (Bryant) and termed Limbury Mill. On January 3rd, 1841, during a terrible thunderstorm, this mill was burnt down by lightning. In the Hamlet of Limbury-cum-Niscot are included the following apportionments (CRO: AT 30, 1842) : No 342 'Windmill Hill'; No 315 'Windmill Hill Field'; and Nos 338 and 341, 'Mill Field Common'; No 344 is 'Biscot Windmill'. In a deed dated August 7th 1855 it is recited that it was rebuilt about 1844. This mill is built in the smock form, with a brick cemented base to the height of the ground floor, which is 19 feet 6 inches wide overall, with 18 inch walling. The mill is octagon on the plan timber constucted above, with overlapping boards, with a rounded dome surmounted by a depressed terminal. The total height of the mill is 40 feet. The sails were shuttered and worked by a fan, but these were removed about 1925. Latterly it ran but one pair of its 4 feet 6 inch stones, bu in its heyday there were three pairs. The wooded crwon-wheel has a diameter of 9 feet and a sail shaft of 16 inches. Whitewashed structure.

<5> Bedfordshire Historical Record Society, Survey of Ancient Buildings, I, 1931, p. 4 and Fig. 19 (Serial). SBD11624.

Photograph of Biscot Windmill, Luton taken in 1931.

<6> Bedfordshire Magazine, Vol. 1, 1947-1949, pp. 87, 90 (Serial). SBD10543.

Photograph of The Smock Mill at Biscot. Of the smock mills, Biscot was unusually broad and squat. IT was built about 1844, had its sails removed in 1925 and was pulled down in 1938. This ended a continuity of mills at Biscot which were said to have originated in the days of Queen Elizabeth.

<7> Bedfordshire Magazine, Vol. 2, 1949-1951, p.162 (Serial). SBD10543.

Photograph - 'Aus England', a Swiss reader's study of the old Biscot Mill at Luton in 1908.

<8> Bedfordshire Archaeological Council, 1964, Bedfordshire Archaeological Journal, Volume II, Vol. 2, 1964, p. 10 (Article in serial). SBD14112.

Biscot Mill, Luton (TL 079 232): This barrow, referred to by William Austin has been destroyed and its site is unknown. It may well have been the mound on which the Biscot Windmil was erected, and which stood behind what is now the Biscot Mill Public House. Two polished greenstone axes are found nearby and are now in Luton Museum.

<9> Luton News, 13/5/1976; 'Housing revolution' (Newspaper Article). SBD10586.

Article includes picture of Biscot Mill.

<10> Bedfordshire & Luton Archives and Records Service Documents, BLARS: AT and MAT 30/1, Tithe Award and Map, 1842 (Unpublished document). SBD10551.

Windmill depicted at TL 0789 2310.

<11> Bedfordshire & Luton Archives and Records Service Documents, BLARS: Z175/36b, Map of Luton, 1876 (Unpublished document). SBD10551.

Smock Mill illustrated at TL 0789 2310.

<12> English Heritage, National Monuments Record Building Files, BF002362 (Unpublished document). SBD10795.

Details of items held at NMR

<13> Unknown, Photograph of unknown origin, AA78/600 (Photograph). SBD10631.

Photograph of mill dated 1934.

<14> NMR/AMIE, HE NRHE Monument Inventory, 359688 (Index). SBD12367.

Windmill used for grinding corn, built 1844. Erected on the site of an earlier mill shown on a map of 1711 which burnt down in 1841. Alleged to be on the site of a long or oval barrow, two greenstone axes have been found nearby.
Viewfinder entry number AA78/00600

<15> National Building Record (Index). SBD13225.

Index number 2362

Protected Status: None recorded

Monument Type(s):

• LONG BARROW? (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
• WINDMILL (16th Century to Mid 20th Century - 1500 AD to 1938 AD)

Associated Finds

• FBD422 - POLISHED AXEHEAD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)

Associated Events: None recorded

Sources and Further Reading

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